Best Equestrian Camping near Dubuque, IA

The campsites here are deep with lots of greenery. However we chose this site thinking that it was on the end. The loops curl around so there were campers around us. On the other side was a playground that had children enjoying it all day. While this is great for some, our reactive dog was quite distracted.

Upon arriving at the check in, there is still a couple miles to wind around until the campground, longer to get to twin lakes campground. The road is hilly too. It’s not a problem in our vehicle but it would be tiring on a bicycle. There are showers in the center of our loop. It could be expanded a bit - we had short lines for the restrooms. Water , garbage and recycling are available as well as a dump station.

It was raining when we arrived but we drove around to see the park. We hiked the short distance to Stephen’s Falls and was not impressed. Maybe they need more rain this year but all we saw was a splatter.

We saw folks who kept their kayaks and canoes locked up by the lake. The beach looked nice too. The other end of the park has an equestrian campground. We did see some horses riding the trail around the park.

The vibe here wasn’t for us. Various sites had music playing loud enough for us to hear. Trails from camp would be great. We ended up walking along the narrow road.

Two good lakes for kayaking/canoeing/fishing/swimming. Lots of good hiking trails and they are working on a big improvement to the equestrian campground. Lots of activities in the area and close to shopping in the town of Dodgeville.

Great state park for a family camping vacation, tons of stuff to do. Lakes, trails, kayaking, boating, paddle boarding, fishing. Hidden gem of Wisconsin. The campsites are pretty private, nestled in trees. Some shaded, some have sun and shade. They even have horse sites, so you can bring your horse, and stroll through the park horseback riding. Vault toilets, and regular toilets with ok showers. Water faucets scattered around for easy water access. Twin Valley has tent sites and RV/electric sites.

We spend quite a bit of time here. We hunt here and camp here year round. Tons of forest with cross country, equestrian, and hiking trails. One of the best lakes in Wisconsin for fishing along with a nice beach, and pet area. There is a free gun range. Hunt anything from pheasent to deer. There is also a nice bar and grill just down the street. Along with dairy bar as part of the park. Showers and bathrooms are always clean.

Backbone is a very diverse area. There are miles of trails. Is hiking your thing? What about equestrian? Maybe mountain bike trails? You can even take the family for a nice leisurely walk on the easier trails. Exploring is fun at this park because there is so much to see. The Trout stream was busy the weekend we were there. You might even want to play a round of Gulf. We have solar on our trailer so we stayed in the Six Pines campground and it was beautiful. We listened to the night animals for hours.

This campground has many things to do. This place has tent, rv and cabin camping, you can choose modern or non modern camping. Fun activities include fishing, swimming in a lake and also ground fed springs, boat rentals on the lake, hiking also horse trails, rock climbing, caves, playgrounds shelters for events and parties. I am sure there are even more things to do that I didnt have the time for.

We love camping at Governor Dodge state park. The campsites are big and fairly private some areas are better for groups of families camping together with play grounds and nice clean bathrooms with showers. If you camp at Twin Valley You will have to drive to the beach. We like the Cox Hollow beach the best ..so if you want to walk to beach camp there. There are lots of beautiful hiking trails including one that passes an old farm homestead complete with the old spring house and a waterfall. You can also rent horses and rid them in the park…the rental place is just outside the park. They have groomed cross country trails and mountain biking trails as well. You won’t be disappointed if you visit this park!

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Spent a few nights a couple yrs ago. We reserved online and arrived late so we were setting up in the dark. We backed up easily into the site and was surrounded in quiet and darkness. There are a ton of hiking trails, a couple lakes/ponds to enjoy, and saw horses on the trails. We were close enough to water faucets, flush toilets and showers, pit toilets, and playgrounds. There was a worry of wild parsnips, so my daughter dressed like it was October and didn't enjoy the hikes as much as i was hoping.

There were a lot of people and everyone was friendly, but it wasn't as quiet and remote as I thought it might be. Lots of people hiking to the waterfall and other trails.

didn’t do much here the day we went. not sure what trail it was but one of them had a great look out spot. you can see clear over to Iowa.

This nice SP is located on the Iowa border. It was a quiet nice little get away with several trails that challenge anyone in your group. Campground was clean and well maintained.

A very nice park located close to the Iowa border. Close to Effigy Mounds & Pikes Peak! It has great trails & campsites & lots of geocaching! Come one New Years for the annual carp drop :)

Lots a hiking trails... nice trout fishing. Kids love the river crossing. Be aware of night life, the raccoons like to come and join you at the camp fire.
All been said., nice little gem in Iowa.

I have visited a lot of Iowa parks and campgrounds. Backbone is one on my favorites. Backbone is the oldest state park in Iowa. You can take your canoe out on the lake or hit some of the hiking trails. There are cabins for rent if you don't want to sleep in a tent.

Click on the following link to download the trail maps: www.iowadnr.gov/portals/idnr/uploads/parks/trailmaps/trails_backbone.pdf

This is a great place to stay but make sure you get your reservations in early if you plan on staying on the weekend. If you want it to be quiet and prefer less crowds but you still want to enjoy the park, I highly suggest taking some time off of work during the week and avoiding the weekend.

This is a special place, the facilities, the showers, the campsites, the trails, and the lake are top quality.

Backbone State Park is unlike any other place in Iowa, having geological features uncommon in Iowa.

There are two campgrounds. I have camped in both:

Modern Campground: This is a large, modern campground with all of the standard amenities found in a modern campground… electric hookups, flush toilets, water. I have camped here twice, both times in my travel trailer. Overall, it is a nice campground with decent space in between campers, however, I tend to avoid it during the busier summer and fall colors seasons.

Primitive Campground: This is my favorite at Backbone for camping, especially in the autumn after the leaves have fallen off of the trees. As this campground is non-electric, there are not many people camping after it turns colder. I have spent many nights there alone in the primitive campground, watching RVs pull in and then leave after realizing that it has no hookups.

Nearby trout fishing: Backbone is home to one of the more popular trout streams in Iowa. The fishing is easy as most of the fish are stocked (April-October). Still, it is an enjoyable fishing trip as the stream itself is mostly rocks and gravel, with several deep holes. The water is cold and clear.

Other activities: Hiking is very popular in Backbone. I have also seen rock climbing and rappelling. There are some nice spots away from the trout stream for wading and a little swimming. Backbone State Park also has a small lake with a swimming area and boat rentals during the summer. Several nice cabins are available for those who do not want to camp.

Stayed here back in 2017, will be going back hopefully soon. Beautiful area! Campground is very nice, with showers and restrooms. Camp sites are far enough away from neighbors that there is some privacy. Need a state park sticker to access. Illinois Minnesota and Iowa are all short drives away. We have also snow shoes here to the ice caves in the winter. Which was fun.

This is an amazing park on the Wisconsin/Iowa border, overlooking where the Wisconsin and Mississippi rivers join. I usually try to get in at least 1 trip a year, if lucky enough 2-3. Amazing park with great views, camping, hiking, canoeing/kayaking. Very clean restrooms and showers, tent and trailer camping. If you are lucky enough to get a site on the ridge you won't be disappointed.

Iowa tends to get a bad wrap but this particular park should be love by many. I have family in Iowa and visit often. I decided on one trip to get out exploring a bit and stumbled upon this gem. Now, while there might not be mountains and alpine lakes and such, this is a beautiful park. We decided to picnic and quick day hike, but there are opportunities to do much more. There are designated trails for mountain biking and if kayaking, canoeing, or boating is your thing this place has you covered. Fishing is available for those so inclined. While we didn't stay the night, we did spy the campsites and checked out what they have to offer. They sell bait, firewood, rent boats, have concessions, a real bathroom (and some pit toilets!) and places for your trash. There is the opportunity to go rock climbing and even swimming in the lake. There are standard campsites as well as cabins to rent. While this place is not as primitive as I generally like, and was really busy, it is one heck of a park.

This has been one of my favorite state parks in Iowa to camp thus far. I've tent camped in April and cabin camped in October. The cabin camping was the better of the two experiences, mainly due to the unusually chilly overnight temperatures in April. During the warmer months you can rent canoes from the concession stand. Climbing/rappelling is also allowed in the park via registration at the park office.

We stayed in a family cabin that sleeps up to 4 people. You have to reserve cabins and there is a 2 night minimum stay, but the price is extremely reasonable. These cabins also offer heat and A/C. Our cabin had a common area with a kitchenette.The bathroom included a toilet and shower. The small, but cozy bedroom included a mattress - you're responsible for bringing your own linens - along with a sink. Additional amenities included stove, frig, microwave, pots and pans, and even a small coffee maker. And, the couch in the common area pulled out into a futon, providing extra sleeping space. Outdoor amenities included a fire pit and picnic bench. Bonus: The back of our cabin area looked out onto Backbone Lake.

We purchased firewood in Strawberry Point, a small town just a short drive from the park. Iowa requires that firewood be obtained within the county you're staying in due to the Emerald Ash Borer epidemic.

We fished for trout and hiked along several trails in the park. The Devil's Backbone was our favorite mainly because of the scenery along the bluff. It was the perfect way to view the changing leaves and watch the Maquoketa River flow by.

While we did have neighbors on either side of us, the noise level was minimal, and everyone was respectful of parking spaces as there is a common parking area in front of the cabins.

This is a beautiful spot to visit especially in autumn.

Wyalusing State Park is located in the Southwest corner of Wisconsin athe the Iowa border and where the Wisconsin River empties into the Mississippi River. The views are spectacular anywhere in the park, from your campsite to picnic area! This offers more than at first sight! There is an star observatory which seems to be open on Saturday's, it was not open when I was there but information is available at the park office. There are plenty of of hiking trails and picnic areas as well. The Bluff trail was my favorite of the trails and it leads you to Treasures Cave and many spectacular views along the bluff. The park has NO SWIMMING! but does offer a boat landing and fishing pier. Be prepared to walk through knee high water if you want to use the pier! The park offers many shelters for rent as well as a playground and concession building. The concession building offers ice cream treats, shirts, sweatshirts, post cards, drinks, live bait, canoe and kayak rentals and much more,. The store does accept debit cards! There is also a camp store just before the entrance of the park which sells some necessities as well as campood for $3 compared to the parks $5. If you want more conveniences and necessities you have another 20-25 min. drive to the city of Prarie du Chein. There are some restaurants as well as a Walmart. If in Prarie du Chein you might as well take a drive over to Marquette Iowa and check out the small town and shops as well. The campgrounds here are gems! There are 2 family campgrounds, an indoor group campground, and outdoor group campground. The indoor group campground is intended for organized groups. The outdoor group is your typical group campground in grassy areas and few trees. The two family campgrounds offer showers and flush toilets. A new shower and bathroom building was constructed in2018 in the Homestead Campground. The Homestead Campground is a little more secluded with no bluff views. The 244 loop offers the best sites as the are well shaded and deep as well as wide. The Wisconsin Ridge Campground is where the views are at. It is buiser and the showers and bathrooms aren't as clean and new. This is also where the concession building is located. The view of the Wisconsin River emptying into the Mississippi, the sight of watching Bald Eagles, and beautiful sunsets might be hard to pass compared to the Homestead Campground.

We stayed here two nights. That was plenty, although it's not really the park's fault. The lake was super gross, with excessive floating moss (probably a weather issue) and EXCESSIVE goose poop everywhere. The beach was basically unusable, with goose bombs everywhere. It was better when we kayaked, but still gross.

So why the five stars? 1. The bathrooms were fantastic. 2. The camp site was really nice and plenty of room. 3. The hiking was superb. Felt like we were not in Iowa. 4. The driving through the park was also really great and I will go back this fall to look at leaves. 5. There is a cave you can explore on your own. We did. It's awesome. It's muddy. It's super cool. 6. There are some decent bouldering spots. 7. Cheap, huge bundles of firewood at park entrance. 8. Really friendly at the camp store. 9. Close to Strawberry Point. Go to town to Clayton's Pharmacy and get an old fashioned soda. Fantastic. 10. Close to Edgewood and the Edgewood Locker. Go visit and stock up on meat on the way home.

There are two campgrounds at this park (the first state park in Iowa): a primitive one and a “modern” one. The primitive one (Six Pine) only has a pit toilet and each site has a fire grate and a picnic table. The modern campground (South Lake) has 30 amp, 50 amp, and tent sites. The electric sites are very close together (too close for our liking) so we opted for a tent site. We were in a loop with about six sites, and while the site size was generous and spaced a decent distance apart, there was no delineation between sites and no specific place to park your vehicle (and you cannot park on the road). These sites were also decidedly bumpy and not level; it took us about 15 minutes of maneuvering our van around to find a reasonably level spot. 

The restrooms were six separate rooms, each complete with toilet, sink, and shower; they were clean. 

We drove around the park and saw the balanced rock (meh) and I walked the short distance to the mouth of the cave. There was good signage to find the cave but once there, no information about the cave and its safety (or not) was available so I opted not to explore its dark and wet interior! There are seven trails in the park; the East Lake trail was a treat to hike. It hugs the lake for about two miles and while you can veer off onto the Bluebird Trail, I enjoyed hiking out and back for a different view. You can also hike from the South Lake campground to the beach– about a mile but the trail does start and stop, and you have to walk on the road for a bit. You can rent kayaks, canoes, and paddleboats but we did not take advantage of this. We also did not swim so I cannot speak to the quality of the lake (other reviewers took issue with this). There is also a CCC museum, but it was not open while we were there. 

We stayed one night which was sufficient for us. It might have been nice to stay longer if we decided to rent kayaks or hike different trails.

Offers basics: water, electric, showers some shade, stores nearby

As others have mentioned, there are two campgrounds at Wyalusing State Park. We stayed in the ridge campground which sites are first come, first serve. Some of the best sites are booked solid from spring-fall so arrive on time! The sites on the ridge offer some of the best views you can get from a campground on the western side of the state. They do not offer as much privacy and they are a little smaller. If you are more interested in privacy, check out the Homestead campground (the other campground at Wyalusing). The Homestead campground is wooden and more secluded. Also, the showers are there!

Plenty to do for activities. Great hiking and kayaking here! There's a canoe trail with backwater access of the Mississippi. Bring your kayak or rent a canoe!!

2 camping areas, Homestead and Wisconsin Ridge.

Homestead provides secluded, wooded sites with a good distance between them.

Ridge sites have the veiw from high over the Wisconsin River. That view will cost you though: the sites are are very close to each other with little vegatative separation.

There are many burial mounds in the park, and there is an astronomical observatory on site. The only water access that we found was a boat landing on the Mississippi side. High water prevented us from exploring it much.

Lovely morning sunrise and amazing sunsets. Great hiking trails,overall a great play to stay.

Clifftop camping available. Well kept. Staff is helpful. Lots to do. Short nice ride to prairie du chien.

We have camped there twice this year, so far. If you can get one of the walk up sites on the bluff overlooking The Wisconsin River, you will see amazing sunrises and sunsets. You can see for miles. I sat in my chair over the 4th July week and watched 7 different fireworks shows. The trails are not difficult. You will see beautiful rock formations, effigies, wildlife and waterfalls. The bathrooms are clean, a new one opened this year, and the showers are hot.